]]>The word Television is from the ancient Greek word “tèle” means “far” and the Latin word “visio” means “sight”. Television is a device or a form of technology that receives and transmits moving images or otherwise known as “movies” that are sometimes monochrome or black and white and at other times in full color.

The moving images that it receives from a nearby broadcasting station is projected in three dimensions by the cathode ray tube or “CRT” and it also has an audio decoder to reproduce the sounds from the transmitted radio signals through the audio speakers. It is mainly used for entertainment, information and education. It is also referred to as a television set, television transmission or television program.

Unlike the internet where it is still struggling to compete with TV even nearing the completion of its third decade since it was made for public use; TV took over print media and radio broadcasting overnight! The world quickly catch on and before we knew it, TV had become a global phenomenon. Today there are approximately 4.7 billion units of television throughout the world and they range from the old cathode ray tubes to the flat LCD and plasma screens and all the way up to the latest LED curved TVs. In fact, there are more TV sets than computers in the world today and it seems computers and the internet has yet to surpass TV’s dominance in the mainstream media world.

Here are some of the latest innovations on television today:

The various innovations that companies have developed today makes television almost unrecognizable except for developers and providers adding the suffix “TV” at each new idea that they conceived. Apparently it’s no longer just about a broadcasting station and the box with moving pictures in it! In order to understand what these innovations are allow me to break it down to you in bite sizes. TV nowadays could be…

1) 3DTV – is a semi-total immersion television system that uses multiple techniques such as multi-view display, stereoscopic display, 2D-plus-depth, and other forms of 3D display which makes the object on the TV screen appear to have dept and form just like real objects are. In other words it makes viewing movies on a 3DTV seem realistic! It is one notch below holograms as you will need a specially-designed 3D glasses in order to see the images projected from this type of TV set. The benefits of having a 3DTV is that it makes learning more fun for kids who wants to learn about space and the universe or what’s in our oceans at the comfort of their living rooms. Watching movies that are heavily incorporated with CGI (computer generated imaging) takes you right in the middle of it, which is a completely different experience than just watching the same movie from an ordinary TV. One way 3D images are produced is by offsetting the images and separating them to each eye (left and right), then use passive color filters and a light source to project the image in a singularity all the while the 3D glasses help solidify the images from the viewer’s perspective.

2) Cable TV – CATV or cable television is a system that delivers TV programs through the use of coaxial or fiber-optic cables. Those who wish to subscribe to TV programs offered by CATV companies has to pay for them and that’s why cable television has been a major success back in the 1980’s and 1990’s. The benefits of subscribing to a cable TV network is that you’ll have hundreds of channels and vast TV programs to watch all day everyday; while the disadvantage is that due to the fact that TV shows and movies are sometimes played more than 3 times a day, you will get bored eventually. The take-away is that when you have a busy schedule and you absolutely need to catch up with the episodes of your favorite TV shows or when there’s some very interesting shows that you need to take down notes from.

3) HDTV – or otherwise known as high definition TV or hi-def TV is a modern innovation that came out in the latter years of the first decade of the new millennium. HDTVs has a resolution display between 720p – 1080p which is basically 0.92 megapixels to 2.07 megapixels and that’s like more than 5 times normal! In February 2008 the FCC ordered all TV broadcasting frequency in the United States be set to high definition standards, because the federal government will use all the lower bandwidths exclusively. Perhaps the best benefit that HDTV brings is that you won’t ever have fuzzy signals again.

4) Smart TV – is a cross-between TV and internet as it has the attributes of both. Examples of Smart TV include Apple TV, Amazon TV, Google TV, MeeGo, Plex, Roku, Samsung, TiVo and more! Companies that offer Smart TV programming requires users to buy a set-top-box which is some sort of a receiver (much like cable and satellite TV systems) where you can get exclusive access to paid TV programs. Besides gaining access to TV programs you can also get games, internet access and special offers through the Smart TV vendor which is even better than ordinary TV.

5) Satellite TV – it’s almost very similar to cable TV except for 2 things: a) network coverage can extend beyond the US, and b) providers always broadcast in HD bandwidth which is very desirable for subscribers. TV programs may or may not be the same as cable TV providers offers and severe weather conditions can disrupt satellite broadcast which is an obvious weakness for satellite TVs. Satellite TV providers also offer a bundled service that includes TV, internet and telephone service.

6) Internet TV – is also called Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) where mainstream media TV and alternative TV programs are converted into digital signals and are offered for either free or paid subscription over the internet through video streaming technology. Advantages of internet TV is that you can access it from your desktop home computer, your laptop computer, your tablet computer and even your smartphone. And what’s not to like about mobile TV watching your favorite shows while you’re on the go? Absolutely nothing! Another thing that you may like about internet TV is that you can participate in their forum discussions in real time as a fan and sometimes even interact with the stars and other people involved in creating and developing these shows.

7) PPTV – another emerging digital television is known as peer-to-peer television or PPTV. It is very popular in Asia, particularly in China, Korea, Thailand and other nearby countries – this is because the technology was developed in Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China. For now the system is mostly compatible with Microsoft’s Windows OS (operating system) and you can watch TV shows, movies, sports, news and other special coverages right off of the browser. If it will be marketed worldwide, then we may see it soon on other platforms.

Other possible future TV innovations include holographic imaging and virtual reality TV although it may take years for us to see it into fruition as the marketing aspect of these innovations is such a huge obstacle to get around with. Still, the number of innovations that has so far been developed are leaps compared to what we had just a decade ago which are very impressive. Whatever your preference is you can be sure that you will absolutely enjoy these wonderful new innovations for TV.

]]>The previous contract between DirecTV Satellite service and Disney apparently expired earlier this year on September 30th, and since then, as the two companies continued their negotiations, extensions to the contract were made in an effort to avoid any service interruptions or channel blackouts.

Right before the holiday week, Disney and DirecTV finally agreed on a multi-year distribution deal. DirecTV customers can access ABC, ESPN, and Disney Channel content on any device that has an internet connection. The plan is all part of Disney’s TV Everywhere service and both live streaming TV shows and video-on-demand (VOD) services will be included.

DirecTV, who currently has around 20 million subscribers in the U.S., has also added some additional program services that have been included in the new multi-year deal with Disney: The Longhorn network, (which is a channel that is committed to the full-time coverage of University of Texas sports) Univision, Fusion, (which is an ABC-run news channel) and a number of ESPN college sports channels.

Both companies are also exploring other possible avenues for what they are referring to as “over-the-top” services which they claim will be targeted towards TV customers who would like to be able to access streaming video without a subscription to a satellite and/or cable company.

Both DirecTV and Disney claim they plan to continue their joint venture into future developments in order to give DirecTV consumers an even wider range of viewing options that will be available both in the home and outside of the home.

]]>In an era where most companies look to consolidate themselves and/or take other other companies, Sky has done both, in a move that unites Sky with Sky and Sky for one giant Sky.

More specifically, it is the British ‘BSkyB’ who are making the moves, taking over Sky Italia and taking on a controlling stake in Sky Deutschland for a unified company, with their first act after doing so being to remove the two Bs from their official name for the first time in 24 years of operation.

A move planned in July but delayed due to pan-continental legal problems, the company will now officially run under the overall guise of Sky, “Europe’s largest entertainment company”.

Taking over primary running operations from 21st Century Fox (who now have a 39.1% stake in the merged company), it is unclear as to whether satellite TV subscribers in those markets will see any changes such as collaborated or shared content, but it is believed that the sharing of executives and ideas will result in the ‘accelerated technological innovation‘ for the group as a whole.

James Murdoch, 21st Century Fox’s ‘co-chief operating officer’ summarised of the deal: “We have always believed that a combination of the European Skys would create enormous benefits for the combined business and for our shareholders. Ultimately, a pan-European Sky is good for customers, who will benefit from the accelerated technological innovation and enhanced customer experience made possible by a fully integrated business.”

Now claiming a total customer base of over 20 million across UK, Ireland (UK), Germany, Austria (Deutschland), and Italy (Italia) rather than ‘x million’ in an individual market, will Sky’s unified front see them build an even greater presence in their fully-controlled markets in Europe? Amongst other operations, for complete self-control, they still need to take Brasil, México, New Zealand…

Set to become a new option on the list of perks’ for any new customers of their ‘Red 4G’ mobile packages, Vodafone will look to offer the subscription-based streaming service at no added charge to their customers.

This primarily comes in the form of purchasing a £30 or £40 ‘Freedom TopUp’, which gives 4G users the incentive to pick up a ‘Now TV Entertainment Pass’ amongst the list of reward options. That pass, usually priced at £6.99 per month, offers users live and on-demand streaming of shows from the satellite TV provider’s participating entertainment networks, including Sky Atlantic, Comedy Central, and Gold, amongst others, whilst 4G customers will also recieve a free ‘Movies Pass’, covering Sky Movies content for new 4G customers with no extra charge.

It is noted that this move expands on a previous deal which had seen Red 4G customers able to choose between Netflix, Sky Sports, and music platform Spotify Premium as their benefit of preference upon taking one of the most powerful commercially-available mobile signals.

Continuing an expanding relationship between themselves both inside and out of each other’s sales pitches, will Sky and Vodafone’s promotional move have the intended effect, or will it struggle to even be the #1 pick amongst new 4G customers?

Sky’s ‘brand director of TV products’ Luke Bradley-Jones said of the deal: “It’s great news for our 5.6 million Sky Go customers who can now get even more shows to watch including TOWIE and Big Brother. Sky Go lets our customers have even more flexibility to enjoy the TV they love, on their terms.”

Channel 5 ‘digital media director’ James Tatam noted: “We’re delighted Sky Go customers will be able to enjoy the incredible line up of programmes we’ve put together this autumn across Channel 5, 5* and 5USA, from Gotham to Can’t Pay, We’ll Take it Away and everything in between.”

Martin Goswami, ITV’s ‘director of pay & distribution’, added: “We are very excited to have launched ITVBe, our first new free-to-air channel in almost a decade, and are delighted to roll this out to Sky customers, expanding ITV’s portfolio of channels on the mobile TV service.”

The update is noted as being the first since the start of the summer, where ITV’s full selection of channels at the time (ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV) were introduced for streaming purposes, that new options have been included for the free-with-a-Sky subscription service, (though the company also sells ‘Sky Go Extra’ at £5/month to double the simultaneous streams allowed from 2 to 4, amongst other price-locked features).

Claiming to have over 5.6m users at present, will any of the offerings be able to significantly boost Sky’s mobile streaming numbers?

]]>Sky‘s efforts to dominate the UK’s video airwaves may have just broken the atmosphere and surpassed to the last planet in the galaxy, after they announced a $500,000 investment into a new American television technology start-up known as Pluto.TV.

Though it enters its name competing against a Disney dog and a dwarf planet for attention, Pluto.TV is aiming to become the biggest video aggregator around, taking video from all major internet sources before creating relevant TV channels from that content.

Though currently only doing so for a number of basic genres, the service will look to contain a network of all-encompassing different genres and categories, and possibly subcategories, emulating regular EPGs on TV platforms, albeit with the content all delivered by a single stream.

Operating across desktop and mobile devices at the time of Sky’s purchase, the British satellite broadcasting giants claim to have made the half-million move for research purposes perhaps more than a building investment, with a view to help the help Pluto.TV continue their work and ‘push innovation’ in the way of understanding how audiences consume TV and online content.

Sky’s ‘director of corporate business development’ Emma Lloyd said of the deal: “This partnership enables Sky to draw on the ground-breaking work Pluto.TV are doing to help viewers discover and enjoy the best of online TV through an intuitive and editorially rich TV platform. As we learn about new trends in the way people watch TV, we look forward to sharing our own expertise in content creation, packaging and promotion.”

Whether Pluto.tv will eventually become a household name after a fairly modest first major foreign investment will depend on hard work and/or innovation, but for the time being this is what they have got so far… in terms of ‘audience reaction’ at least:

]]>Dish Network‘s coverage in the USA has received a boost this week with the guarantee that they will be a part of the Frontier Communications telecommunications bundle for the foreseeable future.

Dish signed a ‘multi-year extension’ to the present arrangement they have with Frontier, in which the latter offer Dish’s satellite TV services amongst a Frontier bundle of broadband and phone packages to select regions.

The Stamford-based company specializes in offering internet and communications services to America’s rural areas, with Dish set to again be a key part of that focus as they seek to attract more customers.

Dish Network’s president/CEO Joseph Clayton noted: “We have worked with Frontier to make it even easier for consumers to design the highest value bundle for their information, connection, and entertainment needs. I am pleased to continue this relationship with a company that shares our commitment to providing advanced technology solutions through an affordable, service-driven approach.”

His Frontier counterpart Maggie Wilderotter added: “Dish is a great partner for Frontier. It offers our customers access to a portfolio of award-winning brands. The bundled offerings pair Frontier broadband and voice services with a suite of Dish products and services, including the Hopper with Sling Whole-Home HD DVR. Frontier makes it simple by being a single and local point of contact for service and billing.”

Continuing a partnership that recently saw them launch a $10m ‘America’s Best Communities’ contest project, will Frontier and Dish Network’s continued harmony be the key to continued growth for each in their respective markets?

]]>The internet TV industry in the USA was last week left to begin pondering how their potential futures might play out for better or worse, after the nation’s ‘Federal Communications Commission’ (FCC) have revealed that they are considering a new structure in which they would begin regulating internet TV services.

The new plans being… planned would see online broadcasting become placed on the same level as regular cable TV and satellite TV services.

Though the headline might initially worry the likes of Netflix and YouTube who have made their fame primarily through providing a service not regulated by the FCC, they will be pleased to hear the move is one to have the organisation cover subscription TV-style services rather than all internet video.

And for those cable-style multi-channel providers, such as Dish Network, Sony, and Verizon, the deal will probably be considered a beneficial one, with the internet services then on a level playing field when it comes to formerly prohibitive regulations such as those stopping the questionable Aereo service from operating as they would have liked, and in turn for content rights acquisition, with only tradition and quality of internet service being major stumbling blocks in their causes now.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler had confirmed that there are ideas in progress towards an official vote by the four FCC commissioners regarding an introduction of the plans and gaining public feedback on the matter. This vote could occur as soon as 17 October, but Wheeler is quick to note that nothing has yet been decided or confirmed regarding that potential decision.

Wheeler said of the proposals, which he claims the FCC believe can offer ‘fresh and tough’ competition in the TV market that will only serve to benefit consumers: “You want to make sure that you’re always keeping up with technology, you’re always keeping up with innovations in the marketplace. This falls into that kind of category.”

]]>Dish Network has signed a multi-year deal with Scripps Networks Interactive for the streaming rights to live and on-demand content from channels such as DIY Network, the Food Network, HGTV, and the Travel Channel.

The Dish over-the-top TV service which is due to launch later this year will offer around 20-30 channels for $30 per month. The service will be aimed at cord cutters who are becoming increasingly frustrated at high pay-TV bills for cable and satellite TV.

The content will add nicely to the already signed deals that Dish Network has secured. They signed a deal back in March with Disney owned ABC and ESPN for live and on-demand streaming, and they secured the rights to A+E Networks channels such as Lifetime, History, Crime & Investigation and Military History.

The news was revealed in a Dish press release where DISH president and CEO, Joseph P. Clayton said, “DISH is delighted to add Scripps Networks’ award-winning lifestyle content to our growing library of sports, family, educational and entertainment options that will create a redefined video experience for a new type of consumer. This wide-ranging agreement gives DISH customers dynamic access to Scripps Networks programming today and tomorrow.”

Speaking for Scripps, chairman, president and CEO, Kenneth W. Lowe said, “This agreement demonstrates the consistent strength and popularity of our portfolio of brands, and enables even more people to enjoy DIY Network and Cooking Channel in addition to our existing offering on DISH.”

He continued, “We are committed to making our lifestyle content available to consumers wherever and whenever they want it. This first-of-its-kind OTT deal for Scripps Networks Interactive enables us to reach even more people through DISH’s innovative services.”

The announcement follows on from the news that Sony has decided to enter the online streaming market with it’s own cloud based TV service, and has nabbed the rights to 20 Viacom channels including Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon.

]]>The NOW TV service from Sky is an increasingly popular one, and it appears as though they are fulfilling their desire to capitalise on that by being present on as many platforms as possible.

It was revealed that Now TV is as of this week the newest video streaming service to arrive on the Google Chromecast dongle in the UK market, offering its pay-per-view and subscription streaming options to users of the budget product immediately.

Celebrating the arrival of the app, Sky have timed an update to the Now TV service to offer the new ITV Encore channel as part of their ‘NOW TV Entertainment Month Pass’ coverage, increasing the total tally of networks on the option to 13, alongside names such as FOX, MTV, and Sky Atlantic, amongst others.

NOW TV director Gidon Katz said of the overall developments made: “We’re big fans of tiny media streaming devices so we’re really excited to add Google Chromecast to the family. It means customers have another great way to enjoy NOW TV on their big screen. We’re getting ready for the colder, darker nights and making sure there’s plenty of great TV to watch while snuggled down on the sofa.”

Joining apps released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One games consoles in recent times, will the inclusion of Now TV onto Google Chromecast improve the former’s prospects a ‘little’ more?

]]>While it is naturally easier to perform such tasks on a completely internet-connected service than on a preset box with sporadic updates, UK satellite broadcasters Sky have now made the breakthrough of including a ‘recommendations engine‘ within their electronic programme guide (EPG).

Based on the approaches seen on Netflix and YouTube, the service will look to dig into their database of programming across all channels to provide individual Sky boxes with the most relevant suggestions based on viewing history and current interest.

Aiming to provide customers with more from their Sky satellite subscriptions, the update will utilise the Sky+ Planner’s recordings past, present, and future as reference points presumably as opposed to live TV, although shows in the latter category will naturally be recommended with their airdates alongside on-demand listings.

Amongst other updates, Sky are also implementing a newly-created ‘smart series link’ that remembers to record not only an entire upcoming season of a present TV show with new episodes, but also of any future seasons afterwards, as they make the most of their technology to offer years-long memory in their products.

On more minor incorporations, Sky have also added a ‘sports tile’ on the homepage of their EPG, DVD cover art for movies and eligible content in their On Demand sections, and an ‘HDMI One Touch’ option enabling a user to swich both a TV set and a Sky+HD box on from standby with one touch of a Sky remote power button, so long as the devices have compatiability and an HDMI connection.

Released to their public as of yesterday (21 August), will Sky’s breakthrough set an industry standard in the UK? For TV services that is, the internet obviously got their first…

]]>Every single day, the British media regulatory body Ofcom are probably receiving complaints about something that was broadcast being too vulgar or ‘inappropriate’ for viewers in that timeslot, often being a nothing case that can be thrown out, sometimes a nothing case that snowballs into something huge that they ‘must’ then deal with for sake of their reputation, and on rare occasion a something case where the body can really prove their worth.

A case that they received over the last month, though, is probably too rare to properly categories, but likely a welcome respite for any poor monotonous letter-sorters, who have had to file through a number complaining that a broadcast didn’t have enough bad language.

It helps to know that the broadcast in question was the channel UKTV Gold showcasing the final part of Monty Python‘s live stage tour this year, though the veteran comedy group’s ‘farewell performance’ was placed before the 9pm watershed, with the show aired on 20 July also making cuts to the content, according to complaints that bemoan it and the ‘censorship’ carried throughout, Ofcom reporting 34 complaints of that show in those categories.

The figure a firm minority of the Gold record-setting 597,000-strong audience, but given the lack of willing in most people to be ‘that’ person and complain, it can be assumed that plenty of Monty Python fans were not best pleased at the broadcasting decisions made by Gold.

A spokesman for Ofcom summarised the stance on the complaints: “All our licensees are required to comply with our broadcasting rules, which make clear that the most offensive language cannot be shown on television before the watershed. As a post-transmission regulator, we are not involved in editorial decision making and can only investigate programmes or take action against any channel after a programme’s broadcast.”

The live performance of the comedy troupe, currently consisting of John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin, was held live (and uncensored) at the O2 Arena in London (England) earlier this year, but a decision to air what might be their final-ever performance might be bringing Gold trouble alongside their record ratings. They’ve not been very naughty boys… and that’s what is considered the problem.

]]>UK broadcasters Sky Sports, fresh from a first year of their biggest challenge in the pay-TV sports market thanks to the arrival of BT Sport, have looked to keeping up their long-held status as ‘most subscribed’ with the introduction of a new-look website and mobile app ahead of a new European football season.

The updates have been timed to coincide with the official launch of their new ‘Sky Sports 5′ channel, which will make its first main broadcast tomorrow (12 August) with the UEFA Super Cup football game between Spanish clubs Real Madrid and Sevilla.

Sky Sports’ developments are noted as including a re-release of The Football Centre Score app, set to benefit from a new ‘video’ section, along with ‘enhanced match coverage’ that features previews, video, team form and statistics, alongside user-based customisation options for in-app notifications.

In addition, the official Sky Sports iPad app is planned to become an optional ‘second-screen companion service’ for the Sky Sports News channel, featuring personalised news and catch-up content. Updates to the iPhone and Android versions of the Sky Sports app, meanwhile, will include the ability to take part in user polls and see ‘breaking news alerts’, as well as incorporation of the new Sky Sports 5 channel as part of their streaming option. A final change comes via the network’s official website, which has gained a new design and minor additional features to correspond with the app developments.

Sky Sports director David Gibbs states of the changes: “We aim to make Sky Sports the destination of choice for sports fans wherever they are – at home or on the go. Therefore we’re bringing more content and functionality to all our apps and website with more of the features users love like video content, personalisation, stats, polls, enhanced match coverage and notifications. Ahead of our biggest-ever football season with more of the games that matter in the Barclays Premier League, the Ryder Cup, Formula 1, rugby union and more, Sky Sports customers will be up-to-date wherever they are.”

Whilst Sky Sports look to employ a similar tactic to the same point last year (using the Saturday of the ‘Premier League opening weekend’ as a free-to-access day trial), whether they will be able to hold off a BT Sport challenge on all fronts remains to be seen…

]]>Despite the pain of losing his American franchise on Fox earlier this year, Simon Cowell has managed to bring the X Factor talent show brand back across the Atlantic… to AXS TV.

The response of many especially outside of the USA will be a resounding ‘who?’, but giving the British show a foothold in the US will now be AXS TV, a network ironically created by Ryan Seacrest (presenter of Fox’s longer-running singing contest American Idol, one which Cowell was once a judge on), collaborating with billionaire Mark Cuban.

It will be the first time that the UK edition of the programme has featured on American TV, with a premiere date scheduled for Sunday 31 August, a day after the series debut on ITV in the UK. From there, all episodes will feature on AXS a day after its UK premiere, with Sunday & Monday slots filled at 8/5p PT/ET and repeated later that night.

George Levendis, distributor Syco Entertainment’s ‘head of international’, stated: “The X Factor UK is our flagship production and the world leader in entertainment formats. The show’s production values are unmatched and it has created enormous buzz across the US social media over the last few years. This is the first time we are bringing the UK series to a US broadcaster. We are excited that fans of The X Factor will be able to follow the development of these future stars on AXS TV.”

Entering its 11th season, The X Factor will see Cowell return to the UK judging panel after three seasons of American work, alongside fellow returnee Cheryl, newcomer Mel B of Spice Girls fame, and ever-present Louis Walsh, with regular presenter Dermot O’Leary retaining his role. With a licenced broadcaster taking up the rights in America, though, an interesting subplot will be how many dedicated followers of the Fox franchise are dedicated enough to tune into a lesser-known satellite network to get their dose of the format.

Although the Dish plan of delivering television via the Internet has still not been fully revealed, the multi-year content renewal with A&E includes giving Dish “access to A+E Networks’ content through a future multi-stream subscription service of linear and Video-on-Demand content.”

Dish revealed the news today (Tuesday) saying it had secured the rights for eight A&E channels such as Lifetime, History, Crime & Investigation and Military History.

The Dish Network streaming service is due to be launched this year and will offer between 20-30 TV channels for a monthly subscription of $20-30, offering users a way to get satellite without cables and dishes.

The plan is to discourage cord cutters from leaving the Pay TV system. What Dish seem to fail to realize is that offering cable at the same price just via the internet will probably not win them any new friends.

]]>Sky TV’s smart set-top box device, Now TV can now tap into the millions of videos available on YouTube. The app has become available for the box that lets users access the Sky premium movies and sports content without having to subscribe.

The Now TV set-top box not only has the YouTube app, but also offers for free the main UK catch up TV services from BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Demand 5 , along with Facebook, TED Talks and Flickr.

To get the YouTube app, Now TV owners will need to download it from the Roku Channel Store, and then can watch videos, movies, shows, playlists, and a mind boggling number of original videos.

Customers have also recently seen a refreshed homepage screen arrive on their Now TV Boxes, with a new tile-based look and feel, making it even easier to navigate the apps available on the device.

Speaking about the addition, Director of Now TV, Gidon Katz said, “The Now TV Box offers a huge range of entertainment options to be enjoyed on your own big screen. The addition of YouTube means there’s even more to discover and experience. With the flexibility to dip in and out of great movies, entertainment or sport with the relevant pass from Now TV, catch-up TV and now videos from your favourite YouTube channels, it’ll be hard to find an excuse to leave the sofa.”

]]>In a bid to bring European Sky TV together, BSkyB are said to have agreed to buy the Rupert Murdoch part-owned pay TV companies within Europe, to create a super satellite TV company boasting 20 million subscribers.

The UK based satellite broadcaster, largely owned already by Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox is said to be willing to pay $9 billion for Sky Italia and for Fox’s 57% stake in Sky Deutschland.

BSkyB had already registered an interest in moving from just a UK focused satellite TV company, where it is the dominant pay-TV company offering premium movies, sports, and TV shows to over ten million homes.

BSkyB became such a big player in the TV market after securing rights to live Premier League soccer in the UK, but as they have started to share rights with others they have been concentrating on the ‘connected TV’ strategy. Services such as Sky Go and Now TV have been bringing streaming services to both subscribers and pay-as-you-watch users…

The deal would also give Fox more funds to pursue it’s aquisition of Time Warner, who recently rejected an offer from Fox of $80 billion.

]]>UK satellite broadcaster Sky are making console owners pay extra for the Sky Go app which is currently free. The Sky Go app for subscribers only, allows users to watch Sky content including movies and sport on PC, laptop, phone and consoles both live and on-demand.

Games console owners including PS3, PS4, and Xbox 360 gamers will, as from 29 July, need to fork out £5 per month for a Sky Go Extra subscription.

Sky has been busy sending letters to affected users that says, “from 29 July you’ll no longer be able to access Sky Go using your Sky Go compatible games console.”

The news will not go down well with console owners already spending a ton of cash to use the satellite service, even though Sky Extra does offer extra’s such as downloading for offline viewing, and access for 2 extra connected devices.

The only good bit of news (if you can call it that), is that for a trial period Sky will offer users a 50% discount on the cost before it rises again!

]]>The UK catch-up TV service from the biggest commercial channel ITV, is now available on even more hardware, as the ITV Player has now been made available for the Roku streaming device and Sky TV’s Now TV box.

Owners of Roku devices including the set-top boxes, streaming stick, and the coming Roku Smart TVs, along with satellite streaming device Now TV, can now watch all four of the main UK TV networks.

The ITV Player service which runs on computers, games consoles as well as a number of other connected devices lets viewers watch the last 30 days of content from the channels of ITV, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV.

Speaking for ITV, Martin Goswami, director of pay and distribution said, “A key part of our strategy is to make our content accessible on multiple platforms and we are delighted to be working with Roku to bring our programmes to their devices.”

The Roku range of devices are a favorite amongst streaming TV fans and offer thousands of apps and channels. Speaking for Roku, Ed Lee, VP of content acquisition said, “ITV Player is one of the most recognized sources of programming in the UK and we’re delighted to bring its premier library of popular shows to Roku customers in the UK. Our focus is always on offering the best streaming entertainment and ITV is a great addition for TV lovers.”

The Now TV internet-connected box comes from satellite provider, Sky TV and offers users a way to get a non-contract satellite TV service including movies and sports packages.

The box also offers free UK catch-up services including BBC iPlayer, 40D, and Demand 5. Speaking for Now TV, director Gidon Katz said, “The NOW TV Box is already great value for money and now with the addition of ITV Player there is even more great content to enjoy on your main TV. Combining World Cup action and award winning soaps with the flexibility to dip in and out of great movies, entertainment or sport from NOW TV, our little box has all bases covered.”

The ITV Player app can be downloaded by any UK resident (or those using a VPN in other Countries) from the Roku Channel Store, and direct from the Now TV box.

]]>As more companies make use of the internet as a promotional tool, AMC have gone one step further and are debuting their new show called Halt and Catch Fire, about the early days of the personal computer online first.

The show is based in the 1980’s when the personal computer was released to the world and was, ‘anyone’s game’ is available to watch right now as a 2 week sneak preview on AMC’s Tumblr page, the AMC official website and via Video-On-Demand And TV Everywhere services from major TV providers including Cox, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, AT&T U-verse, and Verizon FiOS.

It marks the first time that AMC have partnered with social media sites to both promote and debut a show online first. AMC said the show is perfect for the summer and is a, “Fun ride through the early days of the PC era, a time when no one could imagine a portable computing weighing less than 15 pounds, let alone one that was a few ounces and doubles as a phone.”

Halt and Catch Fire runs over 10 episodes and charts the history of the PC just after IBM introduced the personal computer to the world. The series debuts on AMC Sunday, June 1.

]]>Telecoms giant AT&T are said to be looking to buy US satellite company DirecTV for an estimated $50 billion. The proposed deal would combine DirecTV’s content with AT&T’s broadband network.

The news reported by the Wall Street Journal, says that the two companies are looking to strike a deal within the next couple of weeks with AT&T using a combination of shares and cash as payment.

DirecTV which is the second biggest pay-TV provider in the US has seen a sharp drop in subscriber numbers as other forms of TV, namely streaming based offerings from Netflix and On-Demand have taken a chunk of the market.

The satellite company also had interest from rival Dish Network, but they concluded that the price was too high. And when compared to the other major proposed takeover of Time Warner by Comcast for around $45 billion, it does seem a little steep.

Any deal will need to first be approved by regulators but if approved the merged company would be a similar size to the Comcast/TWC monolith.

]]>In a move sure to hamper their reputation for ‘premium quality’, UK satellite TV providers Sky yesterday suffered from a service outage yesterday for their ‘Sky Go‘ streaming and catch-up platform, believed to have been caused by high simultaneous demand from sports fans.

With Sunday (11 May) being one of Sky’s favourite days of the year due to it being the final round of games in a season for the English Barclays Premier League football season 2013-14 (made even more noteworthy due to being a ‘last day title decider’ (won anti-climatically with a victory by leaders Manchester City, despite a win for closest rivals Liverpool as well in their simultaneous games)), the broadcasters would have wanted to leave a good impression amongst viewers for that day in particular.

However, high levels of viewer requests appears to have been the cause of what was reported as ‘numerous service outages’ throughout the day, and caused displeasure amongst Sky subscribers attempting to catch streams of their favourite channels including the Sky Sports brand.

While the issues have long since been fixed by Sky, at the time they needed to be fairly defensive on the matter, apologising to customers by reassuring with a tweet at the time: “We are aware of the issue with customer’s accessing Sky Go. We apologise for the inconvenience and will provide updates when available.”

Whether this experience will have better prepared Sky in the event of ‘system overload’ in the future is uncertain (perhaps they could share the live games around their family of channels regardless of genre, following American broadcaster NBC’s move to simulcast all 10 Premier League fixtures yesterday even if it meant using networks such as SyFy and E!), but they will be glad that their problems occurred on a slightly less dramatic afternoon than around two years previously:

]]>While the interface of their website is undergoing continuing updates, UK satellite broadcasters Sky will be providing a wide-scale and never-before-seen addition to their on-demand TV service, packaged in the form of that timeless genre… news.

It has been revealed that Sky News will be introducing direct catch-up streaming/download options for all their major bulletins and reports via the Sky+HD On-Demand section of the Sky EPG service, enabling download of content for later viewing or instant streams for broadband users.

With the benefit of being available to anyone with a broadband connection regardless of pay-TV package (the ‘free-to-air’ nature of Sky News meaning that the new content could serve as a cost-effective ‘taster’ for non-subscribers), Sky News will hope that their content on offer will be able to attract more viewers than the name might imply, presumably through strong in-house coverage and a large archive of both current and more ‘memorable’ news programs and segments.

Content featured under the deal includes full regular shows including Sunrise and Business Live, along with promises that weekly ‘specialist shows’ (including Entertainment Week (showbusiness), Swipe (technology), and Week in Review (overall)) and ‘special documentaries’ featured on the network will be viewable on the on-demand service.

In addition, Sky have also announced the inclusion of new feature The Vault, which will give viewers a chance to re-see some Sky coverage of ‘world-changing news events’ from across the last quarter-century in Sky News’ archive.

‘Head of Sky News’ John Ryley said of the developments: “Sky News is committed to developing the ways in which customers can watch its content. Sky News on Catch Up TV offers Sky customers the chance to curate the news how they want it at a time when we are producing an increasing amount of high quality features.”

]]>https://www.worldtvpc.com/blog/sky-news-add-catch-up-service-to-satellite-box/feed/024: Live Another Day Opens Strong With 8 Million + 11,000 Live Viewershttps://www.worldtvpc.com/blog/24-live-another-day-opens-strong-with-8-million-11000-live-viewers/
https://www.worldtvpc.com/blog/24-live-another-day-opens-strong-with-8-million-11000-live-viewers/#commentsWed, 07 May 2014 20:39:42 +0000http://www.worldtvpc.com/blog/?p=38173
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]]>As their network would have hoped with the heralded return of one of their biggest-ever franchises, the first comeback episode(s) of 24 has attracted respectable ratings for its first broadcast.

Statistics released after the premiere of new season 24: Live Another Day on Monday (5 May) showed that a total of 8 million people was the average following for the show throughout its hour slot on Fox, as Kiefer Sutherland returned to screens in a new installment as rouge counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer, in a first appearance since a seemingly final season four years ago.

The numbers were recognised as being 29% lower than those experienced at the start of that last season, but will still be of benefit to the host network after rising by 1 percentage point in their Monday night 9pm share from the previous week (in which The Following achieved a 1.5% score in the 18-49 demographic), claiming 2.5% of viewers in this range during the timeslot, although two shows have defeated it this week in that regard – in the form of NBC singing contest The Voice (3.0%) and NBC crime drama The Blacklist (2.7%).

Understandably less successful numbers-wise, though, was the simulcast season premiere in the territory where the on-screen action was taking place, as UK fans of 24, watching live at 1am on 6 May, amounted to just under 11,000. Due to the unique timeslot for primetime content, though, the satellite channel Sky1’s broadcast was enough to attract 0.5% of all UK viewers at that time.

In numbers, the official average figure given was 10,800, one which they will hope to improve on vastly in their ‘usual timeslot’ premiere tonight (7 May) at 9pm. Leading into the fairly well-received double-bill, Sky1 aired a ‘documentary special’ entitled Jack is Back, to an audience of 8,600 (0.2%) for half an hour preceding the main action. With fans now having to wait week-by-week for new updates, will Fox and Sky be able to maintain interest and ratings going through 24: Live Another Day‘s run?

Naturally limited to Sky’s region of coverage, the UK version of the PS4 console will soon seen apps for Now TV and Sky Go available at some point this year, according to Sony.

In slightly more detail, it is noted that Now TV will debut its app for PS4 in ‘summer 2014′ and will be joined by Sky Go later in the calendar year.

Sony regional representative Fergal Gara, speaking of the reputational boost that the PS4 will enjoy on account of NOW TV and Sky Go coming into their “…ultimate gaming and entertainment package,” said of the deal: “NOW TV has been a great addition to the PS3 entertainment portfolio, so bringing it to the new PS4 is going to delight all users of the newest, most powerful member of the PlayStation family.”

Sky, meanwhile, are far from calling their latest app arrangement a next-gen exclusive for the Japanese company, with rumours developing that both apps are set to make their way onto Microsoft’s Xbox One, Now TV doing so in close competition to the PS4 with a first appearance on the console this summer, according to Microsoft.

Aside from also ‘considering future opportunities’ for Sky Go, a spokesperson for the American company noted: “We enjoy a long track-record of innovating with Microsoft and look forward to the launch of NOW TV on Xbox One by summer. We will announce more details on the NOW TV app for Xbox One nearer to the time of launch in the summer this year.”

With plans to also bring their Now TV streaming service to the Google Chromecast dongle, it appears as though Sky have an intention to cover any possible plug-in slot on TV sets in the UK, but will the mere presence be enough to entice a significant amount of new business?